It's called the 35 year rule for aged pension. You will get the the full basic pension if you have been a residential taxpayer for 35 years. If not it's a sliding scale reduced amount. EG.you get $1000 Aged Pension while in Australia. You head overseas and you have only been a residential taxpayer for 25 years. Your $1000 pension will be reduced to about $715.
Yes I know. Question was. Can you live in Thailand while accessing Australian Aged Pension. Answer YES. You can go wherever you please and still get the Aged Pension.
Ok peeps have to put my 2c worth. Done heaps of investigating as im close to retirement. The OZ aged pension is paid while overseas. You lose the extras benefits, so you just get the base rate. So roughly $1050pf single benefits. The fun starts when you are overseas longer than 180 days. Your payments would then be monthly instead of fortnightly. Dont forget the 35-year rule between 17-67, where you must have been an Australian resident and taxpayer to get the full amount. Any less it reduces on a sliding scale. The 2-year rule is complicated. I have been told 2 years b4 or 2 years after retiring. Even been told cannot get paid overseas again if returning after 180 days for 2 years but no one at centrelink can give me a definite. So information given to me by reputable people is to return to OZ around 160 days which will reset the time period and travel time frame is reset.